Your party planning wine check list
Choosing the right style and quantity
of wines can have an enormous impact
on the overall success of an event.
Not enough, and guests will wonder if you are stingy by nature or just a poor planner. Too much can result in a lot of excess, which may not be the worst outcome but could result in some tricky storage issues. Quantities can vary depending on your attendees and the type of event, but factoring in half a bottle to a bottle per person is usually more than enough.
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For large scale events like weddings or big parties the key is to choose crowd pleasers! You want something that will suit elderly relatives, but still keep your wine savvy friends impressed. And quite frankly, nothing impresses more than a decent bottle of fizz! Champagne and sparkling wines are a great way to open a celebration and get everyone in the mood to have a good time. New brand to Singapore, Maison de Grand Esprit, have two sparkling options available, a Champagne and a Cremant de Bourgogne. Everyone knows and loves Champagne, but Cremant is a wonderful French sparkling wine alternative. This particular Cremant, from Burgundy, a neighbouring region to Champagne, is produced in the same method and from almost the same grape varietals with the addition of a splash of Gamay, and offers a very affordable price point. Pale gold, nutty white peach aromas, an elegant, smooth mouthfeel with a crisp finish, a classy way to toast the start of your event.
A solid white option is Sauvignon Blanc. Fruity and approachable with some lively zing to keep things fresh, Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand in particular, has soared in global popularity over the past few decades. Matua were the very first producers of Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand and has a range of quality levels, starting from affordable up to premium. Matua delivers exactly what you would expect from Kiwi Sauvignon, buckets of personality! Tropical mango, passion fruit and citrus with energetic acidity, a dream to match with seafood starters and fish courses. If you prefer a softer, rounder Sauvignon, why not try California big hitters, Beringer Vineyards? A rounder style, clean and grassy with intense citrus and ripe stone fruit, but still with all the lively freshness you would want from Sauvignon Blanc.
Merlot is very versatile, a classic meat and main course pairing, and can be a great party option due to its soft tannin, rich and vibrant red and dark berry character and its ability to assume lots or very little oak character. Beaulieu Vineyards Prestige Merlot from California is juicy and jammy, shows little to no oak and tons of fresh red and dark berry with soft supple tannins. If you wanted something with more complexity, consider Sterling Napa Valley Merlot. Napa, one of the premium wine growing regions of the world, became infamous for producing Merlot in the film Sideways, where the main character would exclaim wherever he went, ‘Anything but Merlot!’. Thankfully, no one paid any attention and the region still continues to produce some of the best Merlot around, and this Sterling Napa Valley Merlot is no exception. Richly textured with ripe black cherry and dried sweet spice, this will have more grip and structure from 18 months in America, European and French oak.
Finally, just like a good party, wine is all about enjoyment! So make sure whatever you choose you will enjoy as much as your attendees! Cheers!